Switch-operating apparatus.



y No. 806.567. 1 K f PATENTBD DEG.5,1905.' 'I J.. I. PITTMAN &VE.HARRISON. SWITCH OPERATING APPARATUS.` I

v APPLICATION FILED NAYS, 1905.

' l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

110.806.567. PATBNTBD DBG.5,19o5.l

- J..1. PITTMANJLE. HARRISON.

SWITCH OPERATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1905.

A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

8, screwed on their outer ends.l

n UNITED STATES.

vPATENT OFFIOE.

yJAMES I. FITTMAN AND ELIZABETH HARRISON, OF VALDOSTA, GEORGIA.

v y SWITCH-OPERATING. APPARATUS.v

Patented Dec.` 5, 1905.

Application filed Mey 6. 1905. Serial No. 259,202.

'the switch to be set in the desired position from the moving car,thereby to obvia'te the necessity of the conductor or motorman having toleave the car forthis purpose or of providing an attendant at theswitching-station to operate the switch.

With the above object in view the invention resides in the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In order that our invention may he clearly understood, we haveillustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa sectional elevation of a car having our improvements applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a frame carv Fig. 3 is a brokensectional ried by the car. end view showing the latch for holding theoperating-bar, and Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the arrangement ofI theswitch-rails" and the manner in which the switch-point is moved from thecar.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 indicates the bottom of the car,extending` centrally be# neath which and longitudinally ofv the car isvan operating-bar 2, which near opposite ends of the car projects upwardthrough suitable apertures formed in the bottom of the car, as

indicated at 3, and has its outer vend portions bent to extend parallelwith the floor of the car, as indicated at 4.

(shown in detail in Fig. 2,) which frame is provided at opposite endswith central apertures 6. i

7 indicates headed pins which extend through the ends 4 of theoperating-rods 2 through suitable apertures in the Hoor of the car, andthrough the apertures 6 in the frame 5, and support said frame by meansof nuts A coil-spring 9 is interposed between the floor of the car andthe projecting end 4 of the operating-bar frame 5 to fall. the car Vtheappropriate foot-piece 12 will 'strike the switch-point 15 and cause itto be 2 at each end of the car, said springs serving to lnormally holdthe frame upward substantially against the bottom of the car. Securedcentrally to the operating-bar 2 is a headed pin 10, which projectsupward through the floor of the car a suitable distance, this pin 'beingused for depressing the operating-bar from the interior of the car.Secured to and depending from the frame 5 are legs 11, located,respectively, at the front and rear of each of the -fou'r wheels of thecar and carrying at their lower ends foot-pieces 12, said foot-piecesbeing directed inwardly or toward the longitudinal center of the car, asshown..

13 indicates the 'rails of the main track, and 14 the rails of the curveor switch, one ofthe rails 14 having pivotally mounted at its end a lswitch-point 15, which is normally held away Yfrom an adjacent main rail13 by means of a spring 16. At the 'point of junction of the main railand switch-rail 14, on the side of the track Opposite to that at whichthe switchpoint 15 is located, we dispense with the ordinary switchpointand simply cut away the 'rail 13, so that Vt-he wh'eel mayeither takethe curved rail 14 orcontinue on the straight rail 13, according as theswitch-point 15 is operated tov switch the car or not. In Operation asthe car approach es the switch 'the pin 10 willbe stepped upon by themotorman, who 'passes to the interior of the car for this purpose, andupon being depressed `will press down the. coil-springs 9 and allowr theIn thel further progress of pressed rmly against the rail 13, so thatthe wheels of the car will pass onto the switchpoint and the car will becaused to take the switch. As soon 'as the wheel passesoff theswitch-point the spring 16 will throw the same essary to provide arms 11and foot-pieces 12 for the front and rear wheels, so that after 5indicates a frame rectangular in shape,l

the front wheel has passed ofi' of the switchpoint the latter may againbe operated to cause the rear wheel to pass onto the same. By providingarms 11 and foot-pieces 12 on both sides of the car we provide foroperating the switch- Vpoints from the car when the latter is travelingin either direction and Valso for operating switch-points located oneither side of the track. kIf the car has a conductor as well as amotorman, the conductor will press upon one of the pins 7 while at thesame time the motorman will press upon the other pin 7 and .away fromthe rail 13, and it is therefore nec- IOO IOS

IIO

the frame 5 be lowered accordingly. In some sections of the country,however, where traffic is not heavy it is common to have only a motormanon the car, and for this reason we provide the central pin 10, so thatthe operating-bar 2 may be depressed by pressure thereon. In order toprevent this pin 10 being accidentally or improperly depressed, weprovide a locking device consisting of a rockshaft 17, extendingsubstantially from end to end of the car and journaled at opposite endsin bearings 18, and secure to said rock-shaft lever-arms 19, each ofwhich has a lug 20, which engages beneath the bent end 4 of theoperatingbar. Before said operating-bar can be depressed it is necessaryto throw one or the other of the lever-arms 19 to one side, whichoperation will carry the lug 2O from beneath the part 4 of theoperating-bar and permit the same to be depressed.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as newanddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Switch-operating apparatus comprising, in combination with a car, adepressible frame located beneath the car and extending substantiallyfrom end to end and side to side thereof, legs depending from each sideof said frame, said legs being` respectively, disposed in front of andbehind each wheel, and footpieces mounted on the lower end of each ofsaid legs for actuating a -switch-point.

2. Switch-operating apparatus comprising, in combination with a car, adepressi ble frame located beneath the car and extending substantiallyfrom end to end thereof, springs located at each end of the car andtending normally to hold the frame in an elevated position, means forlocking said frame in its elevated position, and means carried by theframe for operating a switch.

3. Switch-operating apparatus comprising, in combination with a car, adepressible frame located beneath the car and extending substantiallyfrom end to end thereof, an actuating-bar extending beneath the car andhaving en d portions projecting upward through and above the car-floor,springs interposed between said projecting end portions and the oor'ofthe ear, push-pins passing through said projecting end portions and thefloor of the car and supporting said frame, and means carried by theframe for actuating a switch.

4. Switch-operating apparatus comprising, in combination with a car, aframe located be neath the same and extending substantially from end toend thereof, an operating-bar located beneath the car and projectingthrough and above the car-licor at each end of the car, springsinterposed between said projecting end portions and the floor of thecar, pushpins passing' through said projecting portions and the ioor ofthe car and supporting said frame, a central push-pin secured to saidoperating-bar and projecting upward through the iioor of the car, andmeans carried by the frame for operating aswitch.

5. Switch-operating apparatus comprising, in combination with a car, aframe located beneath the same and extending substantially from end toend thereof, an operating-bar located beneath the car and projectingthrough and above the iloor of the car at each end ol the car, springsinterposed between said projecting end portions and the lioor of thecar, push-pins passing through said projecting end portions and thelicor of the car and supporting said frame, a rock-shaft extendingsubstantially from end to end ol the car and mounted at its oppositeends in bearings, levers secured to said rock-shaft and provided withlugs normally engaging under said projecting end portions to lock theoperating-bar against depression, and means carried by the frame foroperating the switch.

6. Switch-operating apparatus comprising, in combination with apivotally mounted switch-point normally held from the main track bymeans of a spring, a car, a depressible -frame carried by said car, andswitchpoint-engaging members carried by said frame and located,respectively, in front of and behind cach of the wheels of the car,substantially as described.

In testimony whereotl we have-hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witn'esses.

JAMES I. PITTB'IAN. ELIZABETH HARRISON. Witnesses:

CAMILLA STEVENS, VIVIAN STEVENS.

